Summer Hair, Forever Young
by xXxMassaroxXx
Summary: Egoshipping fic. Ash, Misty & Brock spend summer in Pallet Town. Unfortunately, Ash & Brock decide to skip off to a PokéCamp, leaving Misty to help clear out the Oak's attic... with Gary Oak? Multichap.
1. Chapter 1

_**Long time no talk! I've been MIA for the past year.. or two.. or three.. but exams are over, and I've got a lot more spare time on my hands so I'm gonna try my hand at writing again! This is an idea that had been swimming around for a few months, so I've posted the introductory chapter, and based on what people think, I'll hopefully have the next part up by the end of the week.**_

**_I own none of the characters, place names etc in this story, no copyright infringement is intended._**

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**Chapter 1 - Homecoming**

"Ash! Brock! Come on already, this bus is about to leave!"

Misty Waterflower sighed with impatience as her two best friends _finally _threw their bags in the luggage hold and jumped on board the 9.00am direct-to-Pallet bus: if the traffic wasn't too heavy, they should reach Pallet by lunchtime.

Ash Ketchum crashed onto the seat beside Misty, almost dislocating her left leg in the process, whilst Brock Pewter made himself comfortable across the two seats opposite them.

"Ya excited Mist?" grinned Ash, his feet already up on the seat in front of him.

"A whole summer of me and Brock bugging the hell out of you, what more could you want!"

"I could think of a few things," laughed Misty, shaking her head and turning to look out the window.

The three of them had been on the road for over a year, and they needed a break. Travelling from city to city, never stopping for more than a few days in one place had worn them out, both physically and mentally. After Ash had been successful in the Pokémon League, they had been unwilling to return to their respective cities; they'd grown extremely close as friends over the year, and weren't prepared to say goodbye just yet. Although there were the obvious arguments and disagreements, the three understood and looked out for each other, and all of them could safely say they'd stumbled upon some pretty suitable travel companions. Luckily, Ash's mother, Delia, had insisted that Brock and Misty come stay in Pallet Town for the summer, and they had gratefully accepted the offer. What better way to spend their summer than in the company of their best friends? The plan was to spend the three summer months relaxing, camping, and generally doing nothing, before attending the huge, annual end-of-summer party in August, to be hosted by the Oak family. Professor Oak hosted the party at his home every year, and it had become one of the most anticipated events of the year, not just in Pallet Town, but in towns as far away as Pewter and Cerulean.

"This summer's gonna be the best, I just know it!" exclaimed Brock, as the bus pulled out of the station, headed towards the highway.

"You got it Brock, you're gonna love Pallet! There's lakes, forests, and a whole bunch of Pokémon.."

Misty smiled as the two boys launched into yet another Pokémon conversation, and began to feel excited about the forthcoming summer. She needed to wind down after her year on the road, and she was sure that three months with her two best friends would do just the trick. Sure, the boys teased her non-stop, but that's what she got for being the only girl. She toughed it out, and teased them back, and deep inside, she knew the boys were overly protective of her: they joked around with her, but they saw her as a little sister, one to watch out for. As she began to imagine the situations they'd inevitably end up in over the summer, Misty's eyes began to droop and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, a mere ten minutes after leaving the station.

The bus finally pulled into Pallet Town around lunchtime, and Misty had to be woken up from her slumber: she'd been such great company for the bus journey, by falling asleep ten minutes after they'd left, and she was surprised the boys hadn't attacked her with a permanent black marker as a way of curing their boredom. They stretched and yawned as they got off the bus and retrieved their bags, and were just about to set off when they heard a shriek from behind them. A middle-aged woman zoomed towards them and dived on Ash, knocking the breath out of him.

"Oh, my baby, you've gotten so _big_ since I last saw you, look at you!" squealed Delia Ketchum, smothering her only son in hugs and kisses.

Deeply embarrassed, Ash tried to shrug his mother off him, choosing to ignore Misty and Brock's sniggers.

Delia greeted Misty and Brock with similar greetings, before bundling them all into her car, which was parked nearby. She was full of chat before she'd even started the engine.

"I have everything all ready for you guys, the spare rooms are made up, there's dinner in the oven, you'll be able to go swimming, hiking, fishing, the Pokémon will be so happy to see you Ash, Brock can help me cook some of the nights, I'll be able to have girly nights with Misty, you can go visit Professor Oak's lab, Gary just arrived earlier this morni-"

"Wait," interrupted Misty, "_Gary's_ here?"

"He sure is, sweetie!" chirped Delia, "Here for the summer, just like you three! He's staying in his grandfathers for the three months, you'll probably be running into him an awful lot!"

Misty groaned. The last thing that would help her to wind down would be Gary's cocky, egotistical attitude, his know-it-all smirk, his smart-ass comments. She'd had enough of him every time they'd bumped into each other on the road: now she'd have to see him every day?

"Don't worry Mist," said Ash, nudging her, "We'll just stay clear of him, we'll be having too much fun this summer to even take any notice of him! I bet ya we'll barely even see him all summer!"

"I can only hope," muttered Misty, as they pulled into the Ketchum's driveway, officially marking the beginning of summer.

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_**Like it? Hate it? Either way, I wanna know! R&R and I'll gladly return the favour.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Summer Hair, Forever Young

_**Chapter 2**_

"Brock, you're such a _girl_! We're going to a _lake_ for God's sake, there's no need for hair gel!"

Brock grinned and shook his head, returning to the mirror.

"Ash, Ash, Ash… When are you ever gonna learn? It doesn't matter _where_ you are, there's always bound to be pretty ladies about!"

Ash and Misty sighed with relief as Brock finally closed the lid on his hair gel and stepped out of the bathroom.

"How do I look, guys?" he asked, smiling cheesily.

"Divine Brock, the fish will be all over you," replied Misty sarcastically.

The three grabbed their bags and fishing rods and after calling goodbye to Delia, set off towards Pallet Lake, a known fishing spot. It was midday, and the sun beat down on them as they set their bags down on a grassy area overlooking the lake. They began to sort out their fishing equipment and within ten minutes, they'd cast their lines, joining the several other fishers dotted around the lake. Misty in particular, was proud of her fishing skills. Being a water Pokémon specialist, she'd learned the art of fishing from an early age, and spent the majority of her childhood in Cerulean fishing with her sisters. She'd saved for months to buy a state-of-the-art fishing rod; her pride and joy.

For over an hour, the three fished; plenty were biting today. Eventually, the heat of the sun became too much to bear for Misty and she set down her fishing rod, lathered herself in sun cream and lay back on the glass, closing her eyes. This lasted all of five minutes.

"Don't you know that gingers aren't supposed to lie in direct sunlight? You'll burst into flames!"

A shadow crossed over Misty and she opened her eyes, regretting that action straight away. It was the messy spikes that gave him away, and Misty scowled at Gary Oak as her vision adjusted to the sunlight.

She sat up, and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Oak? Get lost!"

Gary laughed and threw himself on the ground beside her, much to her disgust.

"Nice to see you too! Ash! Thanks for telling me you were back in town!"

"Not a problem, Gary," replied Ash, between clenched teeth.

Gary seemed oblivious to the fact that all three were glaring at him with a look that didn't seem welcoming.

"Well guys, looks like we've got all summer together! It wasn't enough to beat you in every town and city, I get to prove I'm better than you in our own hometown, what are the chances of that! How long are you staying in Ashy's house?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but for the rest of the summer," said Misty, lying back down and closing her eyes.

"So we all get to hang out with each other for weeks and weeks? Oh goody!" smirked Gary.

His eyes fell on Misty's fishing rod lying beside her and he made a grab for it.

"Fishing, huh? Well, if you're just gonna lie there, you won't mind if I take this!"

Misty's eyes shot open and she leaped up, pulling the fishing rod out of Gary's hands. Gary kept a hold on it, and the force of him and Misty pulling it both ways caused it to snap with a loud crack, followed by a gasp of horror from Misty.

"Uh-oh," whispered Ash to Brock, she's gonna be so ma-"

"GARY OAK. _Tell_ me, that you did _not _just break my fishing rod!" hissed Misty, holding the remains of her rod in her hands.

"Umm.." said Gary, trying not to laugh, "I didn't just break your fishing rod?"

Misty snapped and brought one half of her fishing rod over Gary's head, almost knocking him out.

"Jeez Misty, relax, will you! It's only a freakin' fishing rod, calm down!"

Misty was fuming, and her red hot temper matched her hair. Ash and Brock could see things were getting out of hand, and Brock pulled her away whilst Ash threw all their equipment into their bags. Gary stood by, wincing as he rubbed his head with his hand.

"Let's go guys," announced Ash, grabbing the bags and hurrying after Brock and Misty.

Gary was left standing by the lake, still rubbing his head, a dazed expression on his face.

"Women!" he muttered, turning around and heading for home.

"That was some shot Misty!" exclaimed Ash, as they reached the Ketchum's house.

Misty was silent as she followed him through the gate, knowing she'd scream if she opened her mouth.

_This_ was why she hated Gary Oak. He'd wound her up to the point that she'd snapped, and now she was down one fishing rod. She'd pooled all her savings towards that fishing rod, and it was her most prized possession. She sighed as she walked through the hall door. They passed by Delia chatting on the phone, and headed for the kitchen: Ash's sanctuary.

Just as they began digging into lunch, Delia Ketchum came bustling into the kitchen, humming to herself.

"Did you three have a nice time fishing?"

"Heh, we did for a while," said Ash, glancing in Misty's direction.

"Oh dear," chuckled Delia, "What happened?"

"Gary Oak," hissed Misty, spitting out his name, "_that's _what happened."

"Gary showed up after an hour or so," explained Brock, "And he ended up snapping Misty's fishing rod.

"You seem really upset by this Misty!" exclaimed Delia.

"She's just winding down, Mom," laughed Ash, "She hit him over the head with the remains of her rod!"

Ash dodged the piece of bread Misty aimed at him, and burst out laughing again.

"Ash, you got mail while you were out!" said Delia, passing him a letter from the kitchen countertop.

Ash took the letter and ripped the envelope open, pulling out the contents. His eyes scanned the first page for a few moments, before he looked up and grinned.

"What is it, Ash?" asked Brock, trying to peer over the letter.

"Guys, you won't believe this! They're running a Pokémon camp for four weeks in Pallet, down at the new community centre! Free of charge, anyone can go!"

"Honey, that's great! The three of you can go, it'll keep you busy for four weeks!""It looks great!" exclaimed Brock, his eyes pouring over another leaflet that had been in the envelope.

"There's all kinds of classes and seminars, it looks really useful! Misty, you in?"

Misty glanced at her two best friends and frowned.

"I think I'll sit this one out guys.." she said, slowly.

"What? Why?" they both questioned, confused.

"We've been on the road for the past year, I need a break! I just wanna relax this summer, you guys should go for it, but I think I'll just hang out here, chill out!"

"Misty, you sure? We don't mind not going.."

"Don't be silly!" laughed Misty, "There's loads for me to do around here! I've a lot more places to explore, and I'm sure Delia would be glad of help around the house! Besides, it's only a few hours every day, you guys will be back in the evenings."

The boys looked at each other and then back at Misty. Ash opened his mouth but Delia cut him off.

"Misty, if they're gone for the afternoons, I know of someone who could really do with your help.

"Who?" asked Misty, confused; she knew barely anyone in Pallet.

"Professor Oak is renovating the attic over at his place, and he'd love a hand clearing it out, seeing as May is away for the summer. You could help him out, even just for an hour or two each day, he'd really appreciate it!""I don't know.." said Misty, "I don't really want to be within 100 feet of Gary Oak.""Mist," exclaimed Ash, "Gary will most likely be at this Pokémon camp! Do you really think he's gonna miss out on this?"

"True," wondered Misty, "He wouldn't miss another opportunity to show off..

"Will I ring Professor Oak and tell him to expect you Monday morning?" said Delia, excitedly.

Misty pondered for a moment, then sighed.

"Sure, why not! It'll keep me busy, I suppose!"

Delia dashed off to ring Professor Oak, and Brock and Ash began pouring over the information leaflet again; the first seminar began at midday on Monday.

'_I can't believe I'm going to spend my summer cleaning..' _thought Misty, shaking her head. As long as Gary Oak was off at the Pokémon camp across the other side of Pallet Town, it couldn't be too bad, right?

* * *

Misty rang the doorbell to the Oak's home, and stepped back, looking around. The door was pulled open by Professor Oak, who looked delighted to see her.

"Ah Misty, right on time! I can't thank you enough for this, I'm useless with sorting out boxes and bits and pieces!"

"It's no problem," laughed Misty, following the professor up two flights of stairs to the attic. Just as they reached the bottom of the attic stairs, Misty heard a voice calling down.

"Yo, Gramps, will I mark these boxes or just dump everything into them?"

Misty froze, as a familiar face appeared at the top of the stairs.

Gary Oak smirked as he watched the expression on Misty's face change to a look of horror.

"Hiya Misty, you here to help?"

"What are you doing here?" exclaimed Misty, "Why aren't you at that Pokémon camp with everyone else?"

"Why would I waste my summer going to a camp where I already know everything? That'd just be like school, and although I can see why your two pals might need to go, I've no need for it. Looks like it's just you and me this summer, Misty."

Gary grinned, and with a look that consisted of anger, disbelief and dread on her face, Misty began to climb the attic stairs.

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**Wellllll what are we thinking? Apologies for lack of update, was away visitng friends, barely got online!**

**Next update should be within next two weeks, giving myself a deadline! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Long time, no see! So between starting college, and getting a job and everything, I've virtually had no time to even breathe, let alone write... I'm on Easter break at the moment, and I got a sudden burst of energy, and voila! I give you... Chapter threeeeeee! For the record, I do not own 'Alejandro' by Lady GaGa: the song was in my head at the time of writing.**

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"Don't call my name, don't call my name, Nurse Joy, I'm not your babe, I'm not your babe, Officer Jenny!"

Misty was woken, not by her alarm, but by the sound of Brock singing along to the radio in the kitchen, choosing to change some of the lyrics to suit his taste. She stretched and yawned, dragging herself out of the bed and into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she emerged, and made her way down to the kitchen, where the boys were dug into breakfast.

"Morning, Misty!" chirped Delia, from the grill.

"Morning, everyone," replied Misty, grabbing a slice of toast from Ash's plate.

"Hey!" mumbled Ash, through a mouthful of food.

Misty laughed and sat on a stool, taking a bite of toast.

"So, looking forward to another action-packed, fun day with Gary?" teased Brock, carrying his plate over to the sink.

Misty rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at her friend, while Ash laughed.

The funny thing about it was that Misty _was_ kind of looking forward to the day. She'd been over at the Oak's every day for nearly two weeks, while the boys were off at camp, and although the first few days were initially torture, she wasn't finding it that bad. Perhaps Gary had realised that they were there for the long haul, perhaps Misty was just becoming used to his ways, but either way, the pair were able to hold an adult conversation without sniping at each other. They found it easier and quicker to sort out the never ending mess in the attic, when they _weren't _at each others throats.

"Oh, _totally_," exclaimed Misty, sarcastically, "Don't you know I _live_ for my hours in the attic with Gary? What's on the agenda for camp today?"

"We're actually gonna be home a little later today, Mist," answered Ash, "There's a guy coming in from the Orange Islands today to talk to us about battle techniques, and we're gonna be having practice battles, so it'll probably run until after dinner. We'll be home sometime this evening."

"Sounds fun! So it's just me and you for dinner, Delia?" said Misty.

"Actually…" said Delia, turning to face the trio, "I won't be here for dinner myself. An old friend is in town for the weekend and I've been invited up to her mother's house for dinner. I planned on staying the night, but if you want, I could cancel, so you're not on your own?"

"No, no, don't be silly Delia!" exclaimed Misty, "I'll stay late at the Oak's, then come back and have some Misty-time, you go enjoy yourself!"

Misty didn't mind being on her own for dinner: growing up with her three older sisters, she spent a lot of time on her own anyways, considering they'd clear off after dinner to visit friends and boyfriends.

Ash and Brock left first, calling their goodbyes, and Misty followed them out the door ten minutes later, embarking on the short walk to the Oak mansion. She let herself in with they key she had been given, and humming to herself, walked through into one of the few living rooms. She stopped in her tracks, however, as her eyes fell upon Gary Oak, eyes closed, mouth open, lying on the couch with the TV remote in his hand. What distracted Misty from throwing a cushion at him to wake him up was the fact that Gary was topless. And boy, was she distracted. She allowed herself about ten seconds to take in the body he hid under t-shirts and hoodies most days, before snapping herself out of it, and nudging his foot with her knee.

Gary jumped, and his eyes flew open.

"What the - Misty? Huh?" he yawned, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"Oh shoot, I must have fallen asleep watching TV last night…" he said, sitting up and stretching. Misty found herself looking at the ceiling, choosing to _not_ look at his toned stomach.

"That was smart," she laughed, walking through the living room to drop her bag into the kitchen."

"I'm gonna head up to the attic and get started: follow me up once you've woken yourself up a bit."

Sure enough, Misty was joined by Gary in the attic about fifteen minutes later: fully clothed this time. They spent the morning making conversation and filling boxes with various items they found. Just before lunchtime, Gary found an old jewellery box, and Misty walked over to his side of the attic as he opened it.

"Man, that's a lot of jewellery!" gasped Misty, pulling a gold necklace out of the box.

"I guess it all belonged to my family through the years.." said Gary, "I don't know how it ended up in the attic though.. Hey, Mist, that necklace matches your eyes."

Misty looked at the necklace with the bluey-green stone set in the pendant, then looked at Gary.

"Who do you think you are, Casanova?" she exclaimed, bursting out laughing.

Gary's cheeks flushed red and he swore at her, turning back to the box.

"Aw Gary, I'm only playing with you! It _is _a gorgeous necklace though.."

"I don't think Gramps would want this jewellery shoved in a box," said Gary, "I doubt he even knows it's here! I'll leave it to the side for now."

They took a lunch break soon after, and the pair went down to the kitchen, where Misty prepared them both sandwiches.

"So, how's your boyfriend and Brock getting on in the PokéCamp?" asked Gary.

"First of all, shut your mouth, you know me and Ash are friends. Secondly, they're getting on great. Some guy from the Orange Islands is there today, so they're skipping dinner. Guess who's on her own tonight!"

"You know, you could always have dinner here?" said Gary, grabbing one of the sandwiches off the plate.

"Um, I don't think so, thanks for the offer though." replied Misty, taking a sandwich for herself.

"Why, don't you want people to know we're _friends_ now, Misty?" smirked Gary.

"Aren't you hilarious?" scowled Misty, sticking her tongue out.

"Hey! I'm just saying, you're not as bad as you are when you're with those two losers!"

"Don't call my friends losers, loser!" said Misty, chucking the one of the sandwiches at Gary, who ducked just in time.

"I'm playin' with ya Misty," laughed Gary, "It's true though. I thought you'd be stuck-up and bossy while we were cleaning out the attic, but you're not bad company."

"I suppose you have a point," sighed Misty. "I mean, I thought you were gonna be cocky, arrogant, obnoxious, and mean… But you're not as mean as I thought."

Gary chucked a sandwich back at Misty and she laughed.

"Well, if you don't wanna come here for dinner," said Gary, "Wanna make me dinner instead? Living with Gramps when May is away usually means take out, and there's only so much junk I can eat."

"Gary Oak, did you just ask _me_ to make you dinner?" laughed Misty.

"Yes, yes I did! Aw c'mon, I'm a growing guy, I need my nutrition and all that stuff!"

"Let me text Delia and ask if it's okay, I don't wanna impose on her house," replied Misty, taking out her phone to text her.

Ten minutes later, her phone buzzed, and Misty pressed 'read'.

'_**No probs Mist, hope u hav fun. Candles in drawer under sink in case u wnt 2 set mood;) D xx'**_

Misty shook her head and laughed as she read Delia's text, before putting her phone back in her pocket.

Gary had headed back to the attic a few minutes ago, and Misty shouted up the stairs to him.

"Hey Gary, we're on for dinner!"

* * *

Misty was impressed. Gary wasn't due to arrive for another fifteen minutes or so, and the table was set, the kitchen was cleaned, and the food was just about ready.

She had just placed the plates of lasagne on the table when the doorbell rang.

'_Perfect timing'_ thought Misty, smiling.

She opened the front door and led Gary into the kitchen, where he whistled.

"Damn, Misty, that grub smells _good_!" he exclaimed, eyeing up the food on the table.

"Dig in," laughed Misty, taking a seat at the table, "I'm starved!"

"You should have put some candles on the table Mist, to set the mood," said Gary jokingly, picking up his fork.

Misty half-smiled and picked up her knife and fork, her mind going back to Delia's text.

They made small talk throughout dinner, Gary complimenting her on her cooking skills countless times.

"For as long as I've known you, you've never once complimented me on _anything_," noted Misty, "And suddenly you're full of them!"

"Well, I suppose I have to kinda make up for snapping your fishing rod," smirked Gary.

"I haven't forgotten about that, Oak," said Misty through clenched teeth.

"Alright, alright," laughed Gary, "Relax! Hey, where's Ashy boy's bathroom?"

"Upstairs, first door on the right hand side," answered Misty, standing up to clear the plates.

When Gary came back downstairs, he grabbed one of the dishes from the draining board and began drying it with a tea towel.

"Okay, so three things are out of the ordinary tonight," laughed Misty, dunking the last plate into the hot water.

"Firstly, you've barely insulted me at all tonight, secondly, you're drying dishes, which I thought was way out of your league, and thirdly, you're washing dishes for _me_. What's the deal, Oak?"

"Well, now that I know you can cook like that, you can expect a lot less insults!" said Gary, nudging Misty.

The pair cleaned up the rest of the dishes, and Gary made his way into the living room and dived onto the couch, pretending to be asleep.

"C'mon Oak," said Misty, laughing, "The boys will be home soon, and I wanna get ready for bed."

When he refused to budge, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the front door.

"Thanks for the food Mist, I honestly can't remember the last time I had grub that good."

"It's no problem, you owe me a fishing rod _and_ dinner now though!"

"Consider it done! My Gramps house, same time tomorrow morning?"

"You got it." replied Misty.

Gary walked down the garden path, and it was only when he walked through the gate that she realised that he hadn't let go of her hand until he'd walked out the front door.

Blushing to herself, she closed the door and made her way back inside, taking out her phone to check for messages.

'_**Hey Mist, grabbing food with some ppl from camp, should b home 10! Brock x'**_

Misty looked at the clock: it was only nine thirty. She changed into her pyjamas, and then headed into her room with the intention of reading her book until the boys got home.

As she lay her head on her pillow, it hit off something hard underneath.

"What the -" muttered Misty, reaching under her pillow.

She pulled out a small wooden box, about the size of a remote control, and opened it: a piece of paper fluttered out.

'_Hey Misty,_

_I showed my Gramps that jewellery box we found, and he said most of the jewellery inside belonged to my mother and my grandmother. I know everything suits me, but girls jewellery isn't really my style, and I don't want everything to go back in the attic, forgotten about. The necklace really suits you, and it really does match your eyes, in a non-cheesy way. I suppose this is to say thanks for putting up with me in the attic, you're not as bad as I thought._

_See you in the morning Mist,_

_Gary'_

Misty looked at the necklace with the bluey-green pendant in the box, and took it out. After admiring it for a few moments, she carefully placed it back in the box, and turned out the lights, closing her eyes with a smile on her face.

* * *

**Well! Thoughts? Yes? No? Continue? Throw it in the fire? I've gotten into this story again and I have half of the next chapter typed and saved, another writing session should just about finish it! I'd love to hear what you think of it! Amy xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, salut, hola!**

**I'm well aware that it's been almost _four months_ since I updated this story, and I think I deserve a slap on the wrist for that! I was swamped with college exams, and work, and some personal issues this summer, and I really didn't feel up to writing anything. Things are getting a little better, and I reread this story on my computer during the week, and found myself wanting to write the rest of it!**

**So without further ado, here's Chapter 4 of Summer Hair, Forever Young, and I'm hoping to have Chapter 5 up by the end of August.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to, I do not own any of the characters, place names or Pokémon in this story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The following morning, Misty awoke earlier than usual, and took her time in the shower. When she walked back into her room, towel piled on her head, her eyes fell upon the box containing the necklace. A smile spread across her face, and she carefully took it out of the box, and brought it over to the mirror. It really did match her eyes, and she put it on carefully, managing to close the tiny clasp. She reread the note that had accompanied it, and left it on her bedside table, before turning to get dressed for the day.

In the kitchen, Ash Ketchum waited impatiently as his mother prepared stacks of toast for everyone. Eventually, Delia placed a plate in front of him, and he dug in. Just as he'd finished, Misty strolled into the kitchen, humming to herself.

"Morning guys!" she said, grabbing a slice of toast from the counter.

"Well, good morning, Misty!" replied Delia, turning to face her.

"Oh my goodness, where did you get that necklace? It's divine! Ash, look at Misty's necklace!"He glanced up, and gave Misty a thumbs up: a necklace was a necklace, as far as he was concerned.

"I, uh, I found it in my jewellery box. Guess I must have misplaced it for a while. So, how was yesterday? Was the Orange Islands guy any good?" asked Misty, taking a seat at the table.

"Uh, yeah, he was pretty decent. I really have to work on water techniques though, I was flattened by Brock."

"Well, I've got that gym handbook from my sisters upstairs, if you wanted to pick up some tips from that? There's a whole section on water battles."

"That'd be great, Mist!"

"I've gotta head over to the Oak's now, but if you go up to my room, it should be on my bookshelf somewhere. See you guys at dinner!"

With that, Misty picked up her bag, and left the kitchen. Ash heard the front door close, and he stood up, bringing his plate over to the sink. He climbed the stairs, and opened Misty's door: although it was his family's house, he hadn't been in Misty's room since they'd arrived. It looked typically as he'd expected a girls room to look: clothes neatly folded, bottles of potions or perfumes or whatever scattered across the dressing table, hairdryer on the bed, and a magazine with a picture of a famous actress on the cover lying on her pillow. Ash located the gym handbook in no time, and as he went to walk out, his gaze fell upon a piece of paper on her bedside table.

Ash could hear Brock and Delia chatting downstairs, and he closed the door over, before picking up the piece of paper.

'_A note from Gary? Gary Oak?' _he thought, puzzled.

After he had read the last line, he sat down on the edge of Misty's bed, the note still in his hand.

Pokémon had always been Ash's first love. He devoted every second of his day to raising and learning about Pokémon, and he couldn't get enough. He'd never really had time for girls; when other boys were buying flowers for girls, he'd been buying PokéBalls for Pokémon. When he had first met Misty, it had been in battle, and when she had tagged along with him and Brock, her advanced expertise in raising water Pokémon had been a handy quality to have on their team. Travelling together, Ash had grown close to Misty, and he saw her as a sister. Well, so he thought. He glanced at the note again, and realised that he had never really imagined the idea of Misty _dating _somebody. In his head, he supposed they'd always travel together, experiencing new things and having fun. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that he felt, well, _weird_ about Misty dating someone other than him.

'_Whoa, hold on, someone other than _me_?' _Ash shook his head. It had taken a note from Gary for Ash to realise something he probably should have realised a while ago. It had taken a note for Ash to realise that his feelings for Misty weren't actually based on a _friend_ship at all…

* * *

"Yo, Gary! Where are you?"

"I'm already in the attic, come on up!"

Misty climbed the attic stairs once again, and took a look around.

"Damn, Oak, we make a pretty good team! We're halfway there!"

Gary finished dumping the contents of an old box into a plastic bag, and stood up straight.

"And once we're finished, you'll have to go back to crying your eyes out about how much you want me. Such a shame!"

Misty slapped his arm, but laughed simultaneously.

"C'mon , you goof, let's get as much done as possible before lunch."

The pair worked, almost in silence, for nearly three hours, before Misty called for a break.

"I think the dust is starting to get to me, my nose is all stuffy," she said, searching her pockets for a tissue.

"Sucks to be you!" laughed Gary, flopping down on an old armchair.

"Gary! Ugh, you're making the dust worse!" Misty squealed, covering her nose with her hands.

Gary stood up and tried to drag her over to the armchair, which practically grey, it had been there so long.

"Gary, no!" she shrieked, fighting against him.

Gary stopped pulling her, and stood inches from her face.

"Do I make you nervous, standing this close to you?" he teased.

Misty's cheeks flushed red, and she didn't speak a word.

"I do, don't I?" whispered Gary, moving an inch closer.

Misty's nose wrinkled.

"ACHOO!"

Gary jumped backwards, a look of fear on his face.

Misty fell around laughing.

"Aww, ickle Gary is scared of a sneeze!"

"C'mon, let's go get some food.." he mumbled, making his way towards the attic stairs.

* * *

Brock and Ash sat on the grass outside the community centre, and began gulping down water, exhausted. They had practiced battle tactics for almost four hours, before they had been given a fifteen minute break.

"Hey, Brock, can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Sure thing. What's up?"

Ash struggled, not knowing how to start.

"You have, uh, a lot of experience with girls. How do you ask one out?"

Brock laughed at his friend.

"First of all, don't refer to them as objects. They're not Pokémon, Ash! Secondly, just ask her out. Dinner, movie, coffee, whatever you want. Although, Misty would probably prefer dinner.

"Wh- Who said I was talking about Misty?"

"Please, Ash," laughed his friend, "You only know two girls, and one of them is your mom. And that girl has been mad about you since the day you met her."

"What? Misty? She has?"

This was all news to Ash.

"Ash, one day, you're gonna have to stop looking at Pokémon for _one_ second and just look at the world. Misty's always had a thing for you, you've just been so wrapped up in Pokémon to notice."

"Well, I don't exactly know the signs! I just, uh, I think she's a really cool girl, and I thought it might be nice for us to, uh, you know, go out or something."

"Where did this all come from? Does this, by any chance, have anything to do with the fact that she's been spending so much time with Gary Oak?"

"What? What do you know about them?"

"… Apparently, it does." grinned Brock. "Just ask her out, I have a feeling she won't exactly reject you."

Ash lay back on the grass and sighed, closing his eyes. The world of Pokémon was a LOT less complicated than the world of girls.

* * *

"So, what's your plans for the evening?" asked Misty, as she grabbed her bag from the kitchen.

"I'm gonna help Gramps out in the lab for a while," yawned Gary, leaning against the wall, "Then get some food, and crash out."

"Sounds fun, I guess?" smirked Misty, making her way to the front door.

"Same old! See you tomorrow, Misty."

Misty waved at Gary, and let herself out, beginning the short walk home.

Her thoughts wandered to her and Gary's 'intimate' moment, so to speak. If she hadn't sneezed, would something had happened? Would he have closed the gap between them?

Misty didn't like where her feelings were headed. She had always despised Gary, him and his silly egotistical personality.

'_But he's been kinda okay the past few days, and he's a lot of fun to work with.'_

'_But he's Gary Oak.'_

'_But he was really polite and grateful at dinner.'_

'_But he's Gary Oak.'_

'_But he gave you a necklace.'_

'_But he's Gary. Freaking. OAK!'_

Misty tried to drown her thoughts out by thinking of other things.

As she reached the Ketchum's front gate, she looked up at the house. The curtains were open, so she could see the giant Squirtle poster on Ash's bedroom wall, and she smiled. Her feelings for Ash had always been strong. Sure, they had their arguments like all friends do, but she admired his goofy, loyal personality. At the start of their travels together, she'd had a major crush on him, but once she realised his interests lay in Pokémon rather than girls, she hadn't told him of her feelings.

'_Boys!'_ she sighed to herself, pushing open the front door.

"Hey guys!" she chirped, finding Ash and Brock in the living room, playing video games.

"How was camp?" she asked, settling herself into an armchair.

"It was tough, but fun," replied Brock, standing up and stretching.

"I'm gonna go, uh, see does Delia need help with washing up." he said, and left the room swiftly.

"Washing up?" asked Misty, "But she hasn't even started coo- Ash, why have you gone red?"

Misty's statement caused Ash's cheeks to flush even more.

"Um, I, uh, I guess I was just wondering if you, uh, would maybe wanna, I dunno, like, uh -""Spit it out, Ash," said Misty, puzzled.

"Do you wanna go for dinner with me tomorrow?"

A silence fell upon the room.

"Ash Ketchum, are you asking me on a date?" smirked Misty, breaking the silence.

"I guess I am!" replied Ash nervously, looking at his hands.

"Well, in that case, sure!"

Ash's head shot up.

"Really? I mean, seriously?"

"Sure! I'll be home by five tomorrow, we can head somewhere after that."

With that, she left the room. Ash couldn't help it: a massive grin broke out on his face. Little did he know, Misty was sporting a matching grin as she walked up the stairs.

* * *

The following evening, Misty applied a final coat of mascara, and checked herself out in the mirror.

'_Not too shabby!' _she thought, pleased with the result. Rather than wear her usual tomboyish clothes, she'd made an effort. She wore a blue cotton dress, that was casual enough to wear to a restaurant, but still dressy. After washing her hair, she had taken the time to blow-dry and straighten it, and she'd even spent some time doing her eye make up. Happy with the way she looked, she grabbed her matching blue bag off the bed, and walked downstairs.

She walked into the kitchen, and felt uneasy as both Ash and Brock's jaws fell open.

"_Misty_!" whistled Brock, "Where have you been hiding all my life?"

"Thanks, Brock." said Misty, shyly.

"You, uh, ready to go?" asked Ash, who had tidied himself up.

The pair left the house, and began the short walk into town.

"YoulookreallynicetonightMisty," said Ash, quickly, as they walked.

Misty giggled.

"There's no need to be so nervous, Ash. I'm still the girl that kicks your ass at everything!"

This seemed to put Ash at ease a little.

"So, uh, Pallet Town isn't really that big, and our only restaurant is a Chinese place. They do takeaway, but they have a really nice restaurant part."

"Sounds perfect," smiled Misty.

They reached the restaurant, and Misty had one of the most enjoyable nights she'd had in a while. Ash had relaxed completely by the time the food had arrived, and the pair laughed and joked throughout the meal.

They had a table right beside the window, and when Ash got up to go to the bathroom, she found herself staring out the window into the car park. She really was having an amazing time. She found her old feelings for Ash start to return, and she remembered why she'd liked him in the first place. He was such a genuine guy, honest, loyal, funny. But, if he was such a perfect guy, why was Gary Oak still hovering in the back of her mind?

Ash returned to the table, and insisted they order dessert.

"Ash! You've eaten all your food, and some of mine, and you still want dessert?"

"I'm a growing boy!" replied Ash, defensively.

Misty laughed as his eyes lit up at the sight of the ice cream sundaes being brought to their table.

"Mist," he mumbled, through a mouthful of ice-cream, "You gotta try my one, it's unbelievable!"

"Fine," sighed Misty, jokingly, "Gimme some!"Ash picked up a spoonful of ice cream and brought it towards Misty's mouth, pulling it away at the last second.

"Ash! Gimme some ice cream!"

"Ah-ah, what's the magic word, Misty?" teased Ash.

"Please!" she pouted.

"Nope! It's 'Ash is better than Misty'!" he laughed.

The pair went back and forth, with Misty begging for ice-cream and Ash laughing at her.

Misty couldn't stop giggling, and all thoughts of Gary were pushed from her mind.

* * *

Gary Oak was driving home, when his phone rang.

"Gary? It's your grandfather. Listen, I got caught up in work and didn't have time to make anything. Could you stop on the way home and get some takeout?"

"Sure, Gramps," replied Gary, hanging up the phone and turning on his indicator.

He reached the Chinese takeaway in no time, and parked his car. He placed his order at the desk, and turned to look in at the restaurant.

He froze when he saw a flash of red hair.

'_I must be seeing things…' _he thought.

Nope. That was Misty, alright. That was Ash opposite her. That was Ash teasing Misty with a spoonful of ice cream. Unless he was mistaken, that was Ash and Misty on a _date_.

For reasons he did not know, Gary felt anger wash over him. Anger that Misty and Ash were out together. Angry that he wasn't the one sitting opposite Misty. Anger that he wasn't the one on a date with her.

'_I can't let this girl get to me,' _he thought, furiously, _'She's just a girl.'_

She was just a girl, but she was a girl that was making him feel a mixture of emotions: anger, envy, lust.

'_I can't have a thing for Misty, that's ridiculous. She's the losers best friend!'_

"Sir? Excuse me, sir?"

Gary turned to the desk.

"Your food is ready?" said the girl behind the desk, holding up a bag.

"You know what?" said Gary, his voice sounding dazed, "I don't think I'm hungry anymore."

With that, he picked up his keys off the desk, and walked out the door.

* * *

**Well! Thoughts? I'd love to know what you think, yay/nay!**

**On another note, I'd really love to read some more egoshipping stories, so if anyone has any on , or know of some good ol' egoshipping fics, I'd love you forever if you could e-mail/PM me and let me know about them.**

**Much love! x**


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